Mixed feelings about this high potential movie.

Rating: 7/10 (1 November 2006)

When I was finished watching 'The Island' I got left with mixed feelings. I think the story and main ideas have a lot of potential. The idea of clones that are isolated and unaware of the 'real world' is, in my opinion, extremely fascinating. Unfortunately the movie can't manage to fulfill these expectations and swiftly shifts into just another action blockbuster.
The movie starts of rather mysterious and it is immediately made clear that it takes place in the future. You'll see lots of high tech equipment and the entire environment is white (white is often associated with the future as it has a very professional and modern feeling to it). One thing that I think is so good about this movie is that from the second you press the 'play' button on your remote you'll be sucked into this movie.
In the beginning this movie relies heavily on its plot. It's about a company that clones a person, if he or she is willing to pay dearly for this. From then on whenever this person needs an organ donor or other body transplant these 'parts' will be taken from the clone product (said to be a brainless body, but in fact these clones are sophisticated human beings). The existence of this company depends on the world not knowing that these clones are able to think and have emotions. In my opinion this is a brilliant plot, and that's why I was all the more disappointed with the main progression of the story.
About halfway the movie the setting changes from the cloning facility to the 'real world'. And though it is still a very nice action movie it doesn't meet the high standards it sets in the beginning. I also found the end to be highly unsatisfying. What I really wanted to see is how the world reacted to the existence of the cloning facility, but in the movie only Lincoln Six Echo's sponsor is confronted with the fact his 'product' is a living and breathing human being. And even then this is hardly worked out in a decent way. Tim Lincoln is hardly surprised seeing his clone in real life, nor does he find it shocking that his 'product' can talk.
In the movie the director does make a good point about eduction though. The way the Agnates (official name of the cloning products) are raised is really interesting and immediately made me think of the novel 'Brave New World'. In both this book and the film humans are brought up with sleep teaching and taught to behave according to an environmental pattern. The director also tries to make a point on the subject of environmental influences on education. Tom Licoln and his clone are both exact the same person, but their characters are completely different. Lincoln Six Echo feels responsible for other people, and tries everything in his power to save his fellow 'victims' (Merrick to Lincoln Six Echo at the end of the movie: "You could've taken over his life, but you chose to come back here instead, you are unique, Six-Echo."). In a contrast to this there is Tom Lincoln who doesn't seem to care about anybody but himself.
All in all I found 'The Island' to be a highly entertaining movie, that has not reached up to it's potential. The bar it sets in the beginning isn't nearly met later on as the story progresses. I'd recommend this movie to anyone that just wants a normal Hollywood blockbuster, because that's what it is. Just don't expect to much of the story.